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Sports / News
Coach: China play well but lose in bad luck
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-23 22:06
WUHAN -- China coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors hailed the brilliant
performance of her players in the FIFA Women's World Cup quarter-final
against Norway here on Sunday, but said, "We lose in bad luck."
China's coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors from Sweden reacts during her teams'
quarter-final soccer match in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup against
Norway at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium September 23, 2007. [Reuters]
Norway, the 1995 World Cup titlists and Sydney Olympic champions,
captured the only chance in the first half to beat the hosts 1-0 and set
up a semi-final clash with defending champions Germany.
After boasting a 7-1 advantage in shot statistics in the first 30
miuntes, China conceded a goal in 32nd when defender Wang Kun lost
concentration in the box, let the chasing Norway striker Isabell
Herlovsen secured the ball from her control. Herlovsen shot the gift home
without any hesitation.
Answering a question, Domanski-Lyfors said,"I talked with Wang in the
interval. She felt very sad. I encouraged her and as you see, she did a
very good job in the second half."
"We dominated the game in most of the time, pressed the Norwegians very
hard and created many scoring chances. The Norwegians only had one
brilliant chance but they captured it."
The stalwart Chinese girls created more scoring chances than the
Norwegians, 15 against 8 in statistics, and often laid siege on their
opponents.
Domanski-Lyfors expressed her sadness to lose the game in such a manner,
admitting that such kind of thing often happened in world arena.
As China failed to make their aim of advancing to top four on home soil,
Domanski-Lyfors said, "At this moment, I don't know if I can direct this
team to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics."
Domanski-Lyfors, a Swede, led Sweden to runners-up of 2003 World Cup in
the United States and took over the Chinese team in March this year.
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